Published online: 29 July 2012 | http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1521

In the print version of this Review article, some labelling in Figs 3, 4a and 5c is incorrect: in Fig. 3 the label 'Laurrassia and Gondwana collide' is incorrectly placed; in Fig. 4a some axes labels were incorrect; in Fig. 5c the Greek δ symbol has printed incorrectly. All figures are correct online.